English: White baneberry; White cohosh; Doll's-eyes.
Name: pachypoda means "thick foot".
Region: eastern North America, Canada, Midwestern and Eastern United States.
Habitat: prefers clay to coarse, rich, loamy upland soils; in hardwood and mixed forest stands; requires part or full shade, regular water with good drainage.
Ecology: berries are harmless to birds, toxic to humans.
Content: cardiogenic toxins; alkaloids.
Use: ornamental.
BotanyHerb; perennial; to 50 cm tall.
Leaves: toothed; bipinnate compound; up to 40 cm long, 30 cm broad.
Inflorescence: dense raceme; to 110 cm long.
Flowers: white; blooming in spring.
Fruit: striking; white berry; size, shape, and black stigma scar give the species its name, "doll's eyes"; pedicels thick, bright red when mature.
Dispersion: by birds.